Patterns in Islamic Art

THE BEAUTY OF ORIENTAL CARPETS can be approached not only in
terms of art and mathematics, but also within the contexts of Islamic
art and spirituality. Historically, throughout the Islamic world from
Spain to Indonesia, patterns appear in architecture and interiors to
organize space and to beautify the built environment. All patterns
reflect the pure beauty of numbers, considered to be of divine origin in
Islamic doctrine. And by their very nature, patterns exhibit multiplicity
as expressions of unity, which is an attribute of God. Patterns in
Oriental carpets may thus be seen as expressive of a world view in
which multiplicity exists in relation to the unity of all existence.